Catalyst Castle

Totally not what I was expecting.

Even if the Doctor can shut down Vader's lightsaber, somehow I can't imagine he is any match for the power of the Force.

This is just a quick art post of a sketch I scanned and quickly colored in. Although the coloring was extremely quick, I think it has a sort of water color look to it that was completely unintentional, but kind of neat. The character is Muna Ceil, a Mandalorian warrior and commander from my currently running Star Wars Roleplaying Game campaign.

I have an odd habit of making comparisons between Star Wars and real life, especially to our worship of Jehovah. The reason for this is that Star Wars is an epic story of Good versus Evil, which reflects in many ways the true life conflict between Jehovah and Satan.

So, today I was thinking about Luke Skywalker and Han Solo in Episode IV and I was pondering, which one of them am I more like in my service to Jehovah.

When it came time for the Rebels to attack the Death Star at the climax of that movie, Han was ready to hightail it out of there. He recognized that this mission was practically suicide. He had been paid for his earlier heroics, and he had no desire to stick around and get killed. Luke, on the other hand, knew just as well as Han that this mission could likely kill him, and he wasn’t getting paid for it, but he still signed on without hesitation. He felt a moral compulsion to stand up for what was right and fight on the side of Good. He knew he might very well die if he took this mission, but he also knew he couldn’t live with himself if he walked away.

So, as Christians, are we more like Han or Luke? Do we serve Jehovah when the blessings are immediate and obvious, but run for the hills when faced with a real test? Or do we stick to Jehovah come-what-may, because we know that we couldn’t live with ourselves if we stopped serving Jehovah? Hopefully, all of us our more like Luke. However, the reassuring thing is that, in the end, Han came around and pulled through when Luke needed him the most. We can always adjust our attitude where needed as long as we see the need for that adjustment before the Death Star fires its super weapon.

Just as a creative diversion, I decided to try casting the main characters of my fan novel Star Wars: Aspirations. I'm still uncertain if these are the actors and actresses I would actually choose in the hypothetical situation that my story should be made into a movie, but these are the ones I'm leaning towards right now.

Emma Watson as Rani Dashel
Honestly, I've never seen her in anything, so I can't really judge her acting abilities. She has kind of the look I'd imagine for the character, though, and she's a good age for the part. With a few adjustments in makeup I think she could easily portray the very young Rani in the beginning of the story and the more adult Rani later on.

Chris Pine as Wess Nayne
In Star Trek he played James Kirk as an intelligent man with surprising depth of character. It's kind of funny, but one of the things I was looking for here was an actor who could look good with a scowl. I don't really picture Wess smiling much. Chris looks a tad young for Wess, but he's actually about the right age for the character. With a little bit of stubble I think it could work.

Kate Beckinsale as Kalina Sah
She's played tough, butt-kicking characters before. I think she would be totally cool as the strong-willed Jedi Master.

Milo Ventimiglia as Marcus Jrent
His character on Heroes is incredibly kind and sincere - not what you'd expect for Marcus. But Milo is a good actor and I think he could definitely turn on the charm to play this dashing scoundrel. Besides, there is a bit more sincerity to Marcus than it might at first seem.

Cate Blanchett as Deela Tarule
This role requires a more mature actress with beauty and class. Having played royalty on more than one occasion is indicative of the amount of class she has.

Robert Duvall as Riv'var Tal
I picture Riv being completely computer generated in a live-action movie, in order to do the alien justice. So, I was mainly looking for someone to provide his voice. It needs to be an older man with a sort of gruff voice, but he needs to have a tough, grandfatherly feel as well. The voice would then probably be slightly digitally enhanced to add even a little bit more of a growl to it. Duvall can certainly play an eccentric character, too, which further qualifies him for the role.

Corry Edwards as Tefo
Like Riv'var Tal, Tefo would probably be either completely computer generated, or perhaps a midget in a suit. Either way, I was simply looking for someone to provide a voice. Corry Edwards did the voice of Twitchy in Hoodwinked. I think if you toned down the speed and pitch of that character's voice by about half, that's roughly what I imagine Tefo would sound like.

Hugo Weaving as The Imperial Inquisitor
He doesn't show up until about two thirds of the way through the story, and even as far as Chapter 18 he hasn't been named, but aside from the characters' inner demons, the Imperial Inquisitor is the major villian of Aspirations. He embodies everything that Rani and Wess seek to oppose. Hugo Weaving can do creepy and intimidating, which is exactly what this character needs.

So, those are my choices as of now for the main cast of Aspirations. What do you think? Are there other actors or actresses that you think would fit the roles better? Let me know by posting a comment.

There is a new Star Wars reference book available September 28th that looks awesome! It is called The Jedi Path: A Manual for Students of the Force, and is being portrayed as a manual passed among Jedi from master to apprentice. This is supposedly the last copy to survive the Great Jedi Purge which began in Episode III. Personally I think this is a really cool idea, and I like the concept of "in-universe" reference books when they're done well. The price tag is a bit steep on the "Vault Edition" featured above, but I'll probably buy one when they release a more standard edition.

I just had to share a couple of pictures I've taken in the last couple of weeks. They both capture unintentional real-world references to Star Wars. Or, maybe it's just a coincidence.

As you can see, the recent accident that disfigured my face also did some harm to my right arm. The intense heat from the explosion burned away some of the synthetic flesh leaving my cybernetics exposed ("My parts are showing!"). Fortunately the cybernetics are fairly heat resistant, so most of the damage is simply cosmetic. While my face may never be the same, my arm should be repaired within the week.

Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog is a short musical film about a super villain’s rise to power. The film consists of three acts, each about 14 minutes long, which were originally released online before being compiled for the DVD release. Dr Horrible was created by Joss Whedon, creator of several popular television shows including Firefly. The story focuses on Dr. Horrible’s efforts to be accepted into the elite criminal organization called the Evil League of Evil, and on the love triangle involving himself, a social worker named Penny, and Captain Hammer – his superhero nemesis.

This film is pure comedic genius from concept to execution. The songs are clever and well written. This film was produced independently, but looks professional. The writing team penned the musical during the WGA writers' strike. The idea was to create something small and inexpensive, yet professionally done, in a way that would circumvent the issues that were being protested during the strike. This effort was a success, and Joss Whedon has announced that a sequel is in the works.


Roleplaying
Because of my obsession with roleplaying games, I tend to watch most movies and shows with an eye for what I could take from it and apply to gaming. Here are some ideas from Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog.

Playing Villains: Dr. Horrible presents a villain who is relatable and appealing as a character. It would definitely not become the norm for me, but it makes me think it might be amusing to play a game where all of the player characters are villains. Necessary Evil, a setting for the Savage World RPG does this. Another fun idea would be to play a Star Wars campaign where all of the player characters are Sith in the Old Republic or Legacy Era.

Sing-Along Session: OK. Just once this has to happen. For one session of an ongoing game, everyone has to sing. Minor bits of dialog can be spoken, but the majority of it must be sung. That would be very entertaining.

I thought it might be fun to share some videos on my blog. These videos aren’t mine, I just thought I’d share them ‘cause they’re funny. If you’ve seen them before, watch them again for another laugh. Both of these videos are Star Wars themed.




So there’s some very simple visual effects, combined with a familiar musical piece, creating a short and entertaining video. It’s the idea behind it that’s really clever, more so than the execution.




This one was obviously a little more difficult to produce, requiring extensive audio recording and editing. What a hilarious idea, and very well done!

See any good videos online recently? Please share by posting a link in the comments.

If you look closely, you'll notice I'm running a poll on my blog. It appears at the bottom of the lower sidebar on the right hand side of this page. The poll is about your favorite Star Wars universe era. You can find an explanation of these eras here. The poll will run until the end of the month. This is mostly just to test out the poll feature of this site, but I would also appreciate your feedback.

I know I've mentioned it before, but I have to say again how much I like the new Star Wars: The Clone Wars cartoon. It truly revitalizes the Star Wars universe for me. Last weeks episode, "The Downfall of a Droid", is an excellent example of how it does this.

Upbeat techno music is scattered throughout the soundtrack for the episode, giving it a fresh and exciting feel, instead of the dramatic orchestral arrangements of the movies. The battle that Anakin and Ahsoka fight against the IG assassin droids in a narrow ship's hold is both creative and visually dynamic.

Now, don't misunderstand me here. I love the Star Wars movies, especially the original trilogy. However, with all of the expanded universe content that's been produced in the form of books, video games, etc., I feel like Star Wars is getting worn thin. Some EU content manages to capture the charm of the original movies, such as the Thrawn book trilogy. Others try to freshen things up, but in ways that aren't to my taste. The New Jedi Order book series falls into that category. The Clone Wars cartoon, on the other hand, offers a new take on Star Wars without compromising the classic Star Wars style.

You can see 2 minute "dataclip" recaps of all of the cartoon episodes, and full videos of the last couple of episodes at the official website.

Have you seen The Clone Wars cartoon? What do you think of it? How does it compare to the movies and to other EU material?

I just got some new Star Wars Miniatures the other day. Wizards of the Coast just released a new set for the game called The Clone Wars. The set includes 40 new miniatures of characters from the time period of the clone wars, including new-comer Ahsoka Tano!

WotC is reducing the size of SWM sets from 60 figures to 40 figures, and this was the first set to use the new format. It certainly made collecting all of the new figures a lot easier and a little less expensive. Having less figures in a set also means that they could spend more time and budget on the sculpt and paint job for each of the figures, so the overall quality of the figures has improved somewhat.

I haven't been able to play with any of the new pieces yet, but looking over their statistics I know that a few of them will be new favorites. Captain Rex has some crazy abilities that allow him to move and shoot 4 times in the same turn, which is incredibly good. The Star Corps Trooper is a new clone trooper variant that isn't incredibly powerful, but he has a neat combination of abilities that would make him fun to play with. It's the type of piece that, if played smart, could be very effective.

The starter box for this set also included 2 new play maps that are both very attractive looking and present interesting tactical challenges.

I haven't posted in a while, but I decided to make some comments on this television season so far.

Heroes is definitely going strong. The last episode was another good entry in the series. Arthur Petrelli is shaping up to be a fine villain, and I can't wait to see how this story continues to progress.

The Big Bang Theory continues to amuse. It seems like they've been focusing on Sheldon quite a bit lately. He's my favorite character on the show, so that's a win for me.

I haven't watched The Office in about 3 weeks now, and I don't think I'll bother to. Unfortunately, that show seems to have lost most of its humor now, and the little story-arcs with some of the characters are no longer interesting enough to keep me involved.

Recently I've gotten little bits of the new Star Wars: The Clone Wars cartoon. You can find brief video summaries of all of the episodes so far, and a couple of complete episodes, on Cartoon Network's website. It seems like a really engaging show, and a worthy follow-up to the animated movie. I hope I get a chance to see more full episodes of this series. I think it's a fresh take on Star Wars that really breaths some new life into the franchise.

For a while now I've been writing a Star Wars fan novel called Star Wars: Aspirations. Recently, I've been thinking about my reasons for writing this story. I've decided that their are a few.

First, they say that you should write what you know. I definitely know Star Wars inside and out. I love the Star Wars universe as well. It is an exciting place full of action and adventure, where good battles evil on an epic scale. The Star Wars stories have always entertained me, and I hope my story will provide some entertainment for others.

Second, and perhaps more importantly, I think I'm writing this story because I need to write it. If you've read any of my novel thus far, you probably realize that it deals with some pretty heavy themes and subject matter. The most obvious of these is how society devalues human (or alien) life through slavery and violence, and how it makes women into sexual objects. It explores the effects that being a victim of such a society could have on a young woman. Such themes and subject matter is made relevant by the fact that, underneath the the sci-fi tropes, the Star Wars universe is much like our own, riddled with corruption and evil. In spite of these dark themes, Aspirations will also address what I believe to be a universal truth - that people are ultimately redeemable.

Now, I'll admit that these themes are pretty heavy, and maybe not appropriate for "entertainment". I, myself, certainly do not find them entertaining. I do, however, feel that I need to write about these things in order to get them off my chest, so to speak. Incorporating them into a story based in my favorite fictional universe makes it a little bit easier for me to write about them. Here is where storytelling becomes a form of self-expression.

I finally saw the movie Star Wars: The Clone Wars a few days ago. I went into the movie with only moderate expectations, and it definitely exceeded those expectations.

I knew I was in for something a little bit different right away. As soon as the title faded away on the screen, the movie skipped the traditional "opening crawl" that every other Star Wars movie has had and jumped right into the action, with a brief introduction spoken by a narrator over scenes of the war between the Republic and the Separatists being waged across the galaxy. It was a little spooky, to be honest, but it told me right from the start that I better be prepared for a fast ride.

Some people have expressed dissapointment with the quality of the animation. While it is not photorealistic, it is obvious that they were going for a particular style and they pulled it off well. The animation did not hinder my enjoyment of the film in the least. Also, it seems like an odd thing to pick up on, but I really enjoyed the music in this film. It had some of the classic Star Wars themes while at the same time incorporating some fresh, new, more modern sounding tracks.

It is said that George Lucas's favorite admonition to give as a director is "faster, more intense", and that spirit holds true in The Clone Wars. The movie lacks the occasional slow expositions that gave Attack of the Clones a halt-and-go feel. The story only slows down long enough to change directions once or twice before racing forward again at light speed. And the action is terrific. The lightsaber battle between Obi-wan and Asajj Ventress was deffinately a highlight. It made me wonder if the choriographers enjoyed a new freedom from working with digital models instead of live actors, and yet the action was never so far out there that it seemed cartoonish. Despite the focus on fast-paced action, the movie still had a decent plot that was more than one-demensional, and it even managed to squeeze in a little character development.

One of the things I enjoyed about the film was the attention it gave to the clone soldiers. Star Wars films have always been about a few exceptional heroes saving the galaxy, and while armies have always been present, they've never served much of a purpose other than to provide a backdrop to the real action. In The Clone Wars they did a good job of giving the clones personality, and making their actions actually seem heroic, rather than relegating them to the role of canonfodder. The movie features a number of creative battle scenes, such as the clone army exchanging fire with Separatist battle droids as they scale a cliff. The large-scale battles were also made interresting by the presence of interresting objectives, rather than just "shoot down everything that moves".

I know I've taken a while to get to this, but the biggest highlight of the film was probably a couple of the new characters. Anakin's new padawan, Ahsoka Tano, was awesome. I was affraid she would be kind of annoying, but she wasn't in the least. Though, I have to admit that I have a soft spot for spunky little girls. Ahsoka definately fits the bill, with a lot of attitude in a small package. Captain Rex was also a cool new character. He typifies what I wrote above about making the clones heroic and injecting them with some personality.

OK, so here's what I didn't like: Ziro the Hutt. They very clearly establish this new Hutt character as a male, and yet his voice resembles that of a slightly high-strung, southern, black woman. Why? Seriously, why??? Also the battle droids were exceptionally stupid in this movie. I liked them in Revenge of the Sith, where they had some personality that made them a bit of a comic relief in a rather grim movie, but I think they over did it a little bit in The Clone Wars.

So, my final word on Star Wars: The Clone Wars is that it was great. It exceeded my expectations, and I look forward to seeing it again. I hope I get a chance to see the follow-up TV series that begins airing this fall, and I hope that the Star Wars series continues to pursue this fresh new aproach.